I've noticed this, not all the time, but often when my t-spine is bothering me, I also have this sort of burning pain in the front/center of my chest and also the front of my esophagus (?)/throat. It's definitely not heartburn (I'm well acquainted with that!!) or a typical sore throat.

Anyone else have this? Is it just referred/radiating pain or is it its own thing?

editing, come to think of it, the pain in my back also feels like a burning sort of pain from time to time. More of a "smolder."

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Jen, 42, happy partner of James and Moma to Evan, 14, & Lucy, 12.5 (Crohn's dx @ age 3; on Remicade since April 2010.) I take piroxicam, Flexeril, & Nucynta ER nightly. 3 anti-TNFs didn't pan out for me.

"Science is the father of knowledge, but opinion breeds ignorance." -- Hippocrates

thanks guys! sequoia I'm already taking Arthrotec 2x/day. I will make a note to mention this to the rheumy next week!

Micki, interesting that you have this too. I have herniations noted at T3/4, T5/6, and T6/7 but after a series of injections my pain management doc concluded they are not the cause of the pain I get in the t-spine. hmmmmmm......

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Jen, 42, happy partner of James and Moma to Evan, 14, & Lucy, 12.5 (Crohn's dx @ age 3; on Remicade since April 2010.) I take piroxicam, Flexeril, & Nucynta ER nightly. 3 anti-TNFs didn't pan out for me.

"Science is the father of knowledge, but opinion breeds ignorance." -- Hippocrates

Hi Jen, I have thoracic pain as well I have a few areas that have started to deteriotate but also I had swelling, pain and burning in the front of my upper chest more on my right side collarbone area. But noticed that my throat area seemed swollen. Wake up sometime even with a sore throat that would go away once I was up and about. My rhuemy checked me and I was quite sore to touch with noticeable swelling and he said my sternum was inflamed. I understand that can fuse as well?

Does it hurt to touch and is there swelling?

I am starting to notice improvement in this area on my third week of Enbrel.YAY!

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Dx with AS, OA FM in Feb 2009. Tried Enbrel for 6 months, lost effectiveness, was on Simponi for 1 year, it lost effectiveness, 3 years on Humira and its lost effectiveness. Awaiting hip replacement but may try Remicade as a last resort once I recover.

Glad to hear that you're feeling better, it might be something to have checked out if it happens again.

Yes the Enbrel is starting to work. It seems to take a couple of days, I feel tired and achy. But after the third injection I felt a noticeable change in my energy level by day three, I was able to walk quite a distance without feeling exhausted, so I'm hoping and praying that each time will get a little better. So YAY!

Take care

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Dx with AS, OA FM in Feb 2009. Tried Enbrel for 6 months, lost effectiveness, was on Simponi for 1 year, it lost effectiveness, 3 years on Humira and its lost effectiveness. Awaiting hip replacement but may try Remicade as a last resort once I recover.

So, some follow up. Saw my rheumy 2 weeks ago today, told him about the burning sensation in chest/throat. His first guess was heartburn/reflux - I didn't think it felt like that and had been off NSAIDs for a week (and the one I was taking was Arthrotec which has a prostaglandin inhibitor in it!) When I've had ulcer-type symptoms from NSAIDs it felt more like nausea.

Anyway I decided to do no NSAIDs, and take a PPI, for 2 weeks.

It hasn't gone away. It keeps occurring when I have the t-spine pain.

Doc couldn't figure out how something could cause pain in both the back and the chest wall. Didn't believe they were related.

His next best guess?

Aortic dissection.

What a dope. He tries, but, sheesh. Dissections occur more often in people with Ehlers-Danlos, a severe hypermobility disorder. He keeps sticking to this theory that my (very mild and non problem causing) hypermobility is at the root of things. Oy.

On the upside, I will now cautiously admit that in the past couple weeks (weeks 7 and 8 on Humira) I seem to have noticed improvement!

_________________________
Jen, 42, happy partner of James and Moma to Evan, 14, & Lucy, 12.5 (Crohn's dx @ age 3; on Remicade since April 2010.) I take piroxicam, Flexeril, & Nucynta ER nightly. 3 anti-TNFs didn't pan out for me.

"Science is the father of knowledge, but opinion breeds ignorance." -- Hippocrates